Music-indicator.



G. H. HARTMAN.

MUSIC INDICATOR.

APPLIGATION FILED JULYls, 1910.

1,045,021 Patented Nov. 19, 1912. y

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. H. HARTMAN.

MUSIC INDICATOR.

APPMGATION FILED JULY 1s, 1910.

1,045,021 Patented Nov. 19,11912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

g; 5 u nul; :J v CVZ DAB E* W W@ um GM A427 @In W W il 7 LG .CHARLES H.HAITMAN, 0F ATLANTL'GEOBGIA.

MUSIC-INDICATOR.

pecilcation of Letters Patent.

lyplloltion lled vIuly 18, 1910. Serial No. 571,781.

Ib 'all whom 'it may concern: 'f

Be itlmown that I, CHARLES H. HART- MAN, a citinen yof the UnitedStates, residin at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton an State of Geol `a,have invented certain new and usefu Improvements in Music- Indicators,-of which the following is a specifieation.

This invention consists of a specially designed construction ofindicator adapted to be associated with the key board of a musicalinstrument, and embodying characters,

devices, names and other indicia arranged in relation to notes of themusicalsta', whereby to Ashow the relation between a musical staff andthe keys. of the key board.

The invention is also designed to indicate several musical scalessuccessively in the order of their trans osition, the proper piano keysto be used or playing each scale, and the relation of each. relativeminor scale to its ma'or scale.

The indicia forming a part of the invention includes a desirablearrangement of numbers associated with the notes whereby to facilitatecorrect fingering of each scale, and in addition a peculiar arrangementof differently colored signs or devices is employed in association withthe notes of the sca to show the formation of the principal chords ofeach scale and their relations one to another, Vsaid signs being adaptedwhen the device is applied to an instrument, to point directly to theproper keys to be touched in making the desired chords.

The essential object of the invention is to provide an indicator of theabove class, the use of which assists in materially simplifying theelementary study of music, making it possible to. master such study withless labor, time and at less expense than incidental to the ordinarymethod.

The invention is also adapted to be used in public schools and singingclasses for the teaching of sight singing and transposition, it onlybeing necessary under such condi?- tions to modify the size of the chartor other Asupport provided with the various musical scales. Theprinciple of the invention would be unaltered whether it is used for nindividual study or teaching or demonstration in classes.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing detail description and the accompanying drawin s, inwhichigure 1 is a view of a piano showin the invention applied thereto;Fig. 2 is a ront elevation ofthe frame of the supporting device andassociated mechanical parts yfor turning the flexible sheet or charthaving the musical scales; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device;Fig. 4 is a transverse section; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of theflexible sheet or chart having the indicia for facilitating the study ofmusic printed thereon.-

Throughout the following detail description and 0n the several figuresof the drawin s, similar parts are referred to by like re erencecharacters.

Referring to the drawings, the invention may be very briefly describedas consisting of a suitable support or frame comprising thevtop l, theends 2 and the bottom 3. The top 1 is removable to permit'the inventionto be applied to organs or other instruments provided with stopsarranged unusually low. Mounted in suitable bearings in 'the ends 2 ofthe frame aforesaid are shafts 4 supported to turn readily by means ofthumb pieces 5, one of which isprovided with each shaft, the members 5being located at opposite ends of the frame. The shafts 4 carry avflexible lchart made of paper fabric or any suitable material, andwhich is adapted to be wound and unwound with respect to the shafts byproper manipulation of the members 5. The indicia comprising theessential feature of this invention is carried by the flexible chartdesignated 6. However it may be observed that the frame above referredto is peculiarly construct-ed so that the ends 2 of said` frame projectbeneath the bottom 3 permitting the lower extremities of said ends 2 tobe received between certain of the black keys ofthe piano Patented Nov.19, 1912.

or equivalent musical instrument whereby to position the device andespecially the indicia carried by the chart 6 with respect to the keysof said instrument.

Specifically describing the matter contained upon the chart 6, it may beobserved that suitably inscribed thereon by means of printing or anyother similar way are musical staffs A and B embodying the usualarrangement of notes of scales in certain keys. It is contem )lated thatthe flexible chart 6 shall be su ciently large to contain on its faceall of the scales of the major and minor modes. the base and trebleclefs as customary are shown in Fig. 5 and just below the lines of eachscale are located a plurality of signs shown at C comprisingtriangularly shaped blocks of different colors, such colors beingillustrated on the drawings by distinguishing lines. Said signs C rarearranged in di rect association with the notes of the scales A and B andpoint downwardly to certain keys of the piano or instrument, when theindicating device comprising the invention is arranged in its properoperating position on the key board of such instrument. Certain of thesigns C are of the same color as will be readily observed by referenceto Fig. 5 of the drawings. All those signs of a similar color indicatenotes of a certain chord and also by reason of their position theyindicate the keys of the key board which make certain chords. The objectot' the arrangement is of course to facilitate learning of the chordsnot only with reference to the position of the keys of the key board butwith reference to the relation to the notes of the scales. Thus eachcolor for the signs C represent a distinctive chord, as for instance,the intervals l, 3, 5, of the diatonic scale being red would indicatethe common triad of the tonic.

llfhe notes of the scales are likewise supplied with the names commonlyused by certain masters to indicate the relative pitches, such as do7 remi, etc. These names are preferably printed above the notes of thescales.

The fingering of each major scale is indicated by the provision ofnumerals associated with the various notes ofthe scales by being placedeither to the left or to the rightof the same or on both sides wherefingers of either hand may be employed to play suoli notes. It will benoted that the numerals indicating the fingering of the notes of thebase clef are all arranged upon the left side of each respective notewhile carrying out the same principle, the numerals similarly associatedwith the notes of the treble clef are all arranged on the right side ofeach note thereof. rThe major mode is shown by the lower numerals, l, Q,3, 4, 6 and 7 placed just above the colored triangles of the signs C,and similar numerals arranged above the lines of the scales A and B, asshown at D, indicate the minor mode in its harmonic form.

The name of each note of each scale is denoted at a point between eachrespective note and its associated sign C, the name of Two of thesescales illustrated inV a musical note being well known to be a letter ofthe alphabet.

The characters shown at D in connection with the indicia on the staffsassociated with the signs at C show the tones and degrees of the minordiatonic scale, relative to the major scale.

The various features of the printed matter exhibited on the flexiblechart as above described will be understood as having a peculiarrelation to the study or knowledge of music and which will be readilyunderstood by a musician without further elucidation. When the indicatorcomprising the mechanical means above described is once placed inposition upon the piano or instrument, its position remains unchangedwith respect to the key board notwithstanding the adjustment of thefiexible chart 6 by the thumb pieces 5 in bringing certain scales intoview. This is essentially advantageous in that once the device ispositioned in respect to the key board of the instrument, the student oruser of the invention can not be confused when th flexible chart 6 isadjusted and in view of the fact that the indicia upon the chart willalways assume a proper position with respect to the keys of the keyboard when the chart 6 is adjusted as may be desired to bring anycertain one of the scales to view.

It will be observed that the key names, showing the minor mode areplaced above each statt and those indicating the major mode are arrangedbelow the staff with the signature (sharps or flats at the beginning ofthe stad) located between the two names. Thus, for instance, if underthe staff, the words G Major appear, while above the staff are the wordsE minor, this shows the reader that the signature one sharp is thesignature of Gr Major and also of E minor. The above is especiallyadvantageous in that the signature of a major and its relative minormode and the transposition of the scales may be observed at a glance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In a music indicator comprisin indicia illustrative of av musicalstaff wit a key signature and scale of notes thereon, and the names anddegrees of the notes in the minor inode of such key being arranged abovethel staff and the names and degrees of the notes in the major modebeing arranged beneath the staff whereby the relation of the major andminor modes is shown in direct association with the notes of the staff,establishing the transposition of the scales to the eye.

2. A music indicator comprising indicia illustrative of a musical staffwith a key .signature and scale of notes, a sign associated with eachnote for indicating the musioal chords, certain of the signs being ofone color to represent notes of one chord and other signs being of adifferent color to ndicate the notes of another chord, the names anddegrees of the notes in the minor mode of such key being arranged abovethe sta and names and egrees of the notes in the major mode beingarranged beneath the staf opposite those in the minor mode, and justabove the signs aforesaid. 10

l'In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of two Witnesses. f

CHARLES H. HARTM Witnesses:

Mrs. R. L. CmsHoLM, G. M. MURPHY.-

